Plenty of neigh, vroom and kick

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WANT plenty of sport this weekend? Take your pick. There's horse
racing, high-powered motorcycle racing by exotically named men
(Valentino, for example) and top-class soccer, with thousands
trooping along to witness it all.

The warm-up to this weekend's sporting action started at Phillip
Island yesterday when Spanish MotoGP rider Sete Gibernau clocked
the fastest lap time of the morning practice session. Earlier in
the day, Caulfield Cup favourite El Segundo finished his
preparation for today's big race with light track work and a
wash.

And Melbourne Victory players relaxed before tomorrow's game
against Sydney FC at Olympic Park before what looks like being a
sell-out crowd. More than 18,000 soccer fans are expected to fill
the ground for the A-League match.

With 10 races on the card and a crowd of 55,000 people expected
at Caulfield Racecourse, Wade Calderwood from the Melbourne Racing
Club said that today could be "the first time the full house sign
has gone up at a race track in Australasia". Other tracks can
accommodate more people but fine weather is forecast and there's a
strong field assembled for the 128th running of the cup.

A full house at Olympic Park on Sunday for the soccer would tip
attendance figures at four combined Melbourne home games this
season to over 60,000  and mark a fantastic start for the
game in a city long devoted to Australian rules.

"This match has all that traditional rivalry that exists between
Melbourne and Sydney, plus there's Archie Thompson and Dwight
Yorke, two of the most glamorous strikers in the league," said
Melbourne Victory spokesman Tony Ising.

Fans are urged to use public transport to get to the game.

Sue Nattrass from the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust said the
popularity of A-League matches reinforced the need for a new
stadium at Olympic Park. Construction of a new stadium
accommodating 20,000 is due to begin after the Commonwealth
Games.